Baikonur Cosmodrome readies for key rocket launch on Dec 15
Preparations for the launch of the Proton-M heavy-lift rocket are nearing completion at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Qazinform News Agency reports.
On Friday, the Proton-M launch vehicle carrying Russia’s Electro-L №5 meteorological satellite was rolled out to Launch Pad 81 and installed vertically on the launch complex. The liftoff is scheduled for December 15 at 17:20 Astana time (UTC+5).
As previously reported, this will be the only Proton-M launch of the year.
After liftoff and separation of the rocket’s three stages, the satellite will be placed into its designated orbit using the DM-03 upper stage. Electro-L satellites operate in geostationary orbit at an altitude of 35,786 km, moving in sync with Earth’s rotation and appearing stationary relative to the planet’s surface.
Of the four Baikonur launches initially planned for the end of the year, one has already taken place: on November 27, the Soyuz MS-28 crewed spacecraft successfully launched to the International Space Station (ISS).
The Proton-M mission on December 15 is the next scheduled launch. The status of the December 19 launch of the Progress MS-33 cargo spacecraft remains uncertain due to damage to Launch Pad 31, from which the mission is supposed to depart.
As for the December 24 test launch of the new Russian Soyuz-5 rocket, planned from the upgraded Launch Pad 45 as part of the Kazakhstan–Russia Baiterek project, the spaceport awaits the results of pre-flight tests before confirming the date.